{DIY} Painted Mantel Makeover Done in a Day

This antique mantel in a friend's salon has been patiently waiting since last summer for her update.  She's quite old, but still has good bones, don't you think? 

The salon recently got a makeover with brighter, more contemporary design,  and so it was time for her to freshen up as well.  What better place to get a make-over than a salon, right?  My goal was to finish in one day while they were closed, and it was totally doable! 

1.  The first beauty treatment was a little prep work and resurfacing!   I love my two sanders. The round one is used for larger areas, and the triangle one helps me get into small places.  I almost always use 80 grit sandpaper.  This piece only needed a light sanding because the aged wood didn't have a heavy finish on it.

2.   Next came the best of the best in base coating.  I love this Behr paint from Home Depot when I am not using my own chalk finish paint because it is thick, has primer in it, and lays down really well. It is worth the expense!   I used a roller with a fluffy nap and one of my scruffy brushes for hard to reach areas.  Hang on to your scruffy brushes!  They are great for projects you wouldn't want to ruin a good brush for, and after awhile you don't feel too guilty parting with them! Notice the green tape.  Yes, I love Frog tape.

3.   Distressing time!  This is the part I love, because it gives a piece such character.  I use both sanders for this and only sand the parts that would wear naturally over time.  This antique has a story and I like to imagine who might have leaned against it, or how it got worn away while someone stirred the fire.

  I use the round sander for edges...

and the smaller one does well in hard to reach places.

 4.  Sometimes a sander can leave ugly white-ish scuff marks on black paint, so after sanding it, I rub the whole piece down with one of these:

5.  Next comes the waxing.  I have tried many types of wax on my painted projects and when I found this one I was hooked!  

You can find it at this great shop, Vintage Charm Restored.

 I just brushed it on in a circular motion and wiped it back a little with a rag.  Notice how the wax brings the wood tones back out.

 After the wax dried, I used a painter's mitt to buff it and bring out the patina that wax uniquely gives to a painted piece. (you can use a rag, I just like using lamb's wool)

That's it!  

Are you ready for her reveal after her make-over?

I think she's wearing her new updated look beautifully, don't you?  All done in a day!

He makes beautiful things!

Y.